Am I a Candidate for the iStent to Help My Cataract or Glaucoma in Columbus, Ohio?

One of the most common causes of blindness is glaucoma. The disease strikes as many as 78 million people across the world.

Unfortunately, glaucoma has no cure. As a result, individuals who are affected by it are treated so that the progression of the disease can be slowed or stopped so that their vision can be retained. This is done with the management of intraocular pressure or IOP. Treatment for glaucoma generally means that patients who have it must use different types of prescription eye drops for the remainder of their lives. In some cases, it may also be necessary to undergo eye surgery that may be invasive and complex.

Advancements in technology have long played a huge role in eye care. Currently, there is a lot involved in the management of mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma, as there is the ability to utilize an additional step to cataract surgery, treating glaucoma in a new way. This is essentially, because once you are diagnosed, you will spend the rest of your life using two or three different types of eye drops daily. Sadly, drops can be both expensive and inconvenient. However, there is a treatment you can receive in Columbus, Ohio known as iStent Trabecular Micro-Byspass Stent, which is made to reduce the pressure in your eyes. It can be done during the same time as your cataract surgery.

The treatment works in the same way as stents used to prevent heart attack and stroke: the stent provides access to a blood vessel for free flow, preventing clogging. With glaucoma, the natural drainage of the eye becomes clogged over time. The iStent helps create an opening within the blocked area so that the pressure within the eye is reduced and under control.

This type of stent is the smallest to ever be approved by the FDA. During your cataract surgery, it is placed in the eye. It is small enough that you will not see or feel it until after the procedure. At around 20,000 times smaller than a lens implanted in cataract surgery, the device is used to create a permanent opening in the trabecular meshwork. It works to improve the outflow of fluid within the eye to control pressure within. The device is considered effective and safe, with 68 percent of patients who used it in a year-long study remaining medication free.

If you have glaucoma, are in the Columbus area and are wondering if iStent can help you, it is important to know that it will help to control the outflow of fluid in your eyes.

The device works well to control the pressure in the eye, bringing you much needed relief.

Controlling eye pressure is absolutely essential toward reducing the risk of loss of vision as a result of glaucoma. If you forget to use your eye drops, it can result in a change in eye pressure. The device can help and can reduce your risk for vision loss.

Be sure to ask your Ophthalmologist at Arena Eye Surgeons if this is the right treatment for you.